Well cementing device



y 1932. R. c. BAKER 1,859,648

WELL CEMENTING DEVICE,

Filed Sept. 9, 1931 ATTORNEYS.

.valve acts to Patented May 24, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REUBEN G. BAKER, OF GOALINGA, CALIFORNIA, OI HUNTINGTON PARK, CALIFORNIA, A

ASSIGNOB 'IO m OE 'I'OOIB, HO, CORPORATION 01' CALIFORNIA.

This invention relates to well cementing ap aratus.

t is the principal object of the present invention to provlde an improved well cementing apparatus which is capable of use in connection with a well casing for floating a casing into place in a well bore and efliciently discharging cement slurry into the space between the bore and the casing for effecting a water-shut-ofl and reenforcing the casing.

In carrying the invention into practice I provide a tubular member such as a well casmg collar or shoe within which is anchored a lapideous valve body in which is mounted a Pair of opposed valves. One of these valves acts to prevent the free passage of fluid upwardly through the structure so that the casin may be floated in place in the bore. The other valve acts to enable cement to be pumped downwardly through the structure and then outwardly through the sides of the tubular member into the space between the wall of the hole and the casing. This second revent the cement from discharging longltudinally through the device. The construction of the device is such that when the casing is being lowered into the hole, fluid may pass through the cementing ports from below the valved structure so as to maintain the same freeof obstructing matter which might otherwise accumulate there- 1n.

One form which the invention may assume is exemplified in the following description and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which:

ig. 1 is a view in central vertical section through a well cementing device embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan section therethrough taken on line IIII of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan section taken on line III--III of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, 10 indicates a floating and cementing device for well casings which includes a tubular member 11 such as a casing collar or shoe which may be incorporated in a well casing string. When the device is to be used for shutting off intermediate water,

18. This enables cement a casing collar is used so that the device may be interposed between adjacent sections of the well casing string. However, if it is desired to use the device at the lower extremity 0}: the string, it is incorporated in a casing s cc.

Secured in the tubular member 11 is a valved structure which includes a valve body 12 formed of cementitious or other lapideous material. In the present instance the valve body 12 is formed by casting a cementitious material directly into the tubular member 11. The interior of the tubular member is grooved as illustrated so that the valve body will-be securely anchored thereto in order that it will resist pressures exerted at either end thereof. During the casting of the valve body-12, 1t is formed with an upper passageway 14, an upper valve chamber 15, a lower pway 16 and a lower valve chamber 17. The upper and lower valve chambers 15 and 17 are connected by means of an intermediate passageway 18. The various passageways and valve chambers are formed along the axial center of the valve bod The valve chamber 15 is defined at one end by a flat plate 19 of bakelite or other suitable material, the marginal edges of which is embedded in the cementitious material of the valve body 12. This plate 19 is formed with an opening which registers with the pal-sage- .way 14 and about which opening is formed a valve seat 20. A ball valve 21 is arranged in the valve chamber 15 for cooperation with the seat 20. This ball valve will seat on the seat 20 and prevent the passage of cement upwardly through the valve body 12 into the casing. The lower end of the valve chamber 15 is formed by a bakelite member 22 having upwardly projecting spaced lugs 23 which are adapted to engage the ball valve 21 and prevent the same from closing the passageway to be pumped down the casing through the passageway 14, the valve chamber 15 into the passageway 18.

The lowermost end of the valve chamber 17 is defined by a plate 24 which is similar to the plate 19. This plate also has an opening registering with the lower passageway 16, which plate is surrounded by a valve seat 25 for cooperation with aball valve 26. The upper end of the valve chamber 17 is formed by a bakelite member 27 having downwardly projecting radial lugs 28 which act to prevent the ball valve 26 from shutting ofi communication between the intermediate passageway 18 and the lower valve chamber 17 The construction and arrangement of such valve chambers in a well cementing device is described and claimed in my co-pending application entitled Cementing and floating device for well casings, filed July 13, 1929, and bearing Serial Number 377,961.

Extending radially from the valve chamber 17 is a plurality of cementing ports 29 which communicate at their inner ends with the interior of the valve chamber 17 and at their outer ends with nozzles 30. These nozzles are so designed that cement ejected through the passageways 29 will be forced in an upward helical path substantially tangential to the outer periphery of the tubular member. The arrangement of the ports and the construction of the nozzles is described andclaimed in an application of Clarence E. Burt, filed June 25. 1930, and bearing Serial Number 463, 662. The advantage of this arrangement of the ports and nozzles is that it prevents an undesirable washing action on the sides of the hole and also provides even distribution of the cement around the casing and prevents channeling thereof.

When the device is used in cementing, the pressure of the cement passing through the passageway 14, the valve chamber 15 and the intermediate passageway 18 causes the ball valve 26 to seat on the seat 25 and to prevent the passage of cement through the passageway 16. The cement will then discharge through the laterally directed ports 29 and through the nozzles 30 discharging between the casing and the hole as described.

After the cementing operation has been completed, the entire valve body and the valve mechanisms carried thereby may be readily drilled out. As the valve body and the valve mechanisms are of a non-metallic nature, they can be drilled out readily and without the possibility of fracturing the cement seal efi'ected between the casing and the hole.

Extending longitudinally through the plug at a point eccentric to the valve chambers and passageways is a-by-pass passageway 31 which is of a restricted diameter.

This passageway allows sufiicient fluid to flow through the'valve body when the casing is being lowered in the hole to insure a constant agitation of the fluid above the valve body and thus prevent any settling of sand or other cuttings which might plug the valves in the valve body.

In operation of the device, it is connected with a string of well casing and when the well casing is being lowered into the hole a certain amount of fluid will ass throu h the by-pass passageway and a itate the fluid above the valve body as just escribed. Inasmuch as the pressure at the lower end of the plug will be considerably greater than the pressure at the uliper end during the lowering operation, the all valve 26 will be unseated and the mud fluid will pass outwardly through the ports 29. This will insure that the ports and nozzles will be kept clean and open for the subsequent cementing operation.

The pressure of the fluid during the lowering operation will, however, cause the ball valve 21 to seat on the seat 20 and prevent the passage of the fluid through the valve body into the upper end of the casing. This is what is termed afloating action which relieves the derrick of part of the load of the casing and theoperation of lowering the casing under such circumstances is termed floating in the casing.

When the casing has been roperly positioned in the hole, cement un er pressure is forced down the casing and through the passageway 14 unseating the valve 21 and causing the cement to flow through the intermediate passageway into the lower valve chamber 17. The pressure of the cement is sufiicient to maintain the valve 26 seated and prevent the passage of the cement through the lower passageway 16. The cement will then discharge through the lateral ports 29 and nozzles 30 into the space between the casing and the wall of the bore.

After the cement has been completely discharged, the back pressure of the cement will maintain the valves 21 and 26 seated and prevent the cement from returning into the easing. After the cement has set, the valve body and the valve mechanisms are drilled out, leaving the casing unobstructed.

From the foregoing it is obvious that I have provided a very efiicient cementing and floating apparatus for well casings which enables the casing to be floated into place in the hole and then cemented in.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in its construction by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 15;

1. A device of the character described comprising a tubular member, a valve body secured therein, a passageway formed longitudinally through said body, a pair of valves arranged at a spaced distance apart in said passageway to control the passage of fluid therethrough, the uppermost valve preventmg the passage of fluid upwardly through the plug, the lowermost valve preventing the passage of fluid downwardly through the plug, said body and tubular member having laterally directed unobstructed ports communicating at their innermost ends with said passage intermediate said valves and at their outer ends with the space surrounding said tubular member.

2. A device of the character described comprising a tubular member, a valve body secured therein, a passageway formed longitudinally through said body, a pair of valves arranged at a spaced distance apart in said passageway to control the passage of fluid therethrough, the uppermost valve preventing the passage of fluid upwardly through the plug, the lowermost valve preventing the passage of fluid downwardly through the plug, said body and tubular member having laterally directed ports communicating at their innermost ends with said passage intermediate said valves and at their outer ends with the space surrounding said tubular member, and a restricted by-pass passageway formed longitudinally through the valve body 3. A device of the character described comprising a tubular member, a valve body of lapideous material secured in said tubular member so as to resist dislodgment by pressures exerted at either end thereof. said body being formed with fluid conducting means extending longitudinally through the valve body, upper valve means, lower valve means, said upper valve means preventing the flow of fluid through the fluid conducting means upwardly through the upper end of said valve body, said lower valve means preventing flow of fluid through the fluid conducting means downwardly through the lower end of the valve body, said body and tubular member being formed with unobstructed radial cementing ports communicating at their inner ends with said fluid conducting means intermediate the upper and lower valve means.

4. A device of the character described comprising a tubular member, a valve body of lapideous material secured in said tubular member to resist dislodgment by pressures exerted at either end thereof, said valve body being formed with an upper valve chamber and a lower valve chamber, said valve body being formed with a passageway connecting said chambers, said valve body being formed with an upper passageway extending from the upper valve chamber through the upper end of the valve body. said valve body being formed with a lower passageway extending from the lower valve chamber through the lower end of the valve body, a ball valve in the upper valve chamber preventing fluid from passing upwardly from the upper valve chamber to the upper passageway, a ball valve in the lower valve chamber preventing the passage of fluid downwardly from the lower valve chamber to the lower passageway, said valve body and tubular member being formed with unobstructed radially extending cementing ports communicating at their inner ends wit the lower valve cham- 5. A device of the character described comprising a tubular member, a valve bodyof cementitious material cast directly into the tubular member and securely anchored thereto to resist dislodgement b pressures exerted at either end thereof, sai valve body being formed with communicating upper and lower valve chambers, said valve body being formed with an upper passageway extending from the upper valve chamber through the upper end of the plug and with a lower passageway extending from the lower valve chamber through the lower end of the valve body, valve means in said valve chambers preventing the upward flow of fluid from the upper valve chamber to the upper passageway and the downward flow of fluid from the lower valve chamber to the lower passageway, said valve body and tubular member being formed with radial cementing ports communicating with said valve chambers betweeen the inner extremities of the upper and lower passageways.

6. A device of the character described comprising a tubular member, a valve body of cementitious material cast directly into the tubular member and securely anchored thereto to resist dislodgment by pressures exerted at either end thereof, said valve body being formed with communicating upper and lower valve chambers, said valve body being formed with an upper passageway extending from the upper valve chamber through the upper end of the plug and with a lower passageway extending from the lower valve chamber through the lower end of the valve body, valve means in said valve chambers preventing the upward flow of fluid from the upper valve chamber to the upper passageway and the downward flow of fluid from the lower valve chamber to the lower passageway, said valve body and tubular member being formed with radial cementing ports communicating with said valve chambers between the inner extremities of the upper and lower passageways, nozzles at the outer ends of said cementing ports to direct cement in an upward helical path about the exterior of the tubular member.

7. A device of the character described comprising a tubular member, a valve body of lapideous material secured in said tubular member, said valve body being formed with an upper passageway extending downwardly from the upper end of the valve body, said valve body being formed with a lower passageway extending upwardly from the lower end of the valve body, said valve body being formed with enlarged fluid conducting means communicating at one end with M-QL.

4 name the up er passageway and at the lower end with t e lower passageway, valve means m said enlarged fluid conducting means preventing the upward flow of fluid from said enlarged fluid conducting means to the upper passageway, valve means preventing the downward flow of fluid from said enlarged fluid conducting means to the lower passageway, said valve body and tubular member being formed with unobstructed radial ports extending from the enlarged fluid conducting means outwardly through the tubular member.

8. A device of the character described comrising a tubular member, a valve body of Fapideous material secured in said tubular member, said valve body being formed with an upper passageway extending downwardly from the upper end of the valve body, said valve body belng formed with a lower passageway extending upwardly from the lower end of the valve body, said valve body being formed with enlarged fluid conducting means communicating atone end with the upper passageway and at the lower end with the lower passageway, valve means in said enlarged fluid conducting means preventing the upward flow of fluid from said enlarged fluid conducting means to the upper passageway, valve means preventing the downward flow of fluid from said enlarged fluid conducting means to the lower passageway, said valve body and tubular member being formed with radial ports extending from the enlarged fluid conducting means outwardly through the tubular member, said valve means comprising ball valve members and valve cages maintaining said ball valve members in operating relation to said passageways.

REUBEN C. BAKER. 

